Reports are out that Pittsburgh has made Diontae Johnson available via trade. Free agency has just begun, and the club will remain busy through the offseason. If they truly want to trade away Johnson, they will likely want a pick or two in return. There are some different teams out there that could make sense in certain mock deals.
When you compare the trade for Jerry Jeudy between the Brown and Broncos, you see a difference in value. Johnson is the better player, but his lone year left on his contract could hinder his value moving forward. Unless a new club was willing to sign him to an extension, Johnson could be seen as a pure rental, which would plummet his trade value.
Steelers start off with a blocker buster trade with the Chiefs
We get to a blockbuster trade for both parties. We know that Kansas City just franchise tagged L'Jarius Sneed. They could always keep him, but it seems like they want to try and trade him if a fair deal comes their way. Kansas City just won the Super Bowl, but they still have weaknesses on their team. They could use some help on offense.
Patrick Mahomes can do a lot of things on his own, but having some reliable receivers would only put his game onto another level. Johnson has his issues, but he is more consistent than any other options on the Chiefs currently. Kansas City gets Johnson and the Steeler's second fourth-round selection in the upcoming draft in this mock trade.
Pittsburgh in turn gets L'Jarius Sneed and the Chiefs fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft. They get a starting corner that has been borderline elite at times. His next contract will be expensive, but this would solve their issues at cornerback opposite of Joey Porter Jr. Sneed for Johnson plus a pick swap would break the internet.
Atlanta needs more weapons for their starting Quarterback
Even though there are plenty of question marks on Atlanta's roster right now, they have a chance to succeed this season. They play in one of the worst divisions in the NFL. The NFC South has become a laughingstock, and the Falcons could shove their way into the division lead with a strong offseason. If Pittsburgh is willing to trade Johnson, then Atlanta might be the place to go.
When you look at the return for Jeudy in his respective deal, it was only for a fifth and sixth-round pick in the upcoming draft. That is nothing to write homes about normally, but for the Steelers it could provide a potential market out there for Johnson. Both Jeudy and Johnson are entering their final years under contract.
With those things in mind, Pittsburgh was able to get two picks from the Falcons in this trade. They secured their fourth and sixth-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. It is nothing crazy value-wise, but it does provide a couple of options in the draft to take a receiver early. The Steelers get two extra selections to add to their arsenal entering the draft.
Atlanta needs more receivers for their quarterback to throw at. Drake London and Kyle Pitts cannot be the only top targets. Johnson is a proven veteran in this league and someone who can be a real top option for their offense. They have some young and upcoming pieces on the Falcons, and trading for this receiver would only strengthen their team.
The Steelers get a couple picks to boost Houston's explosive offense
Again, nothing too explosive here in terms of a return in this deal. It will be hard to get a top pick for Johnson as he enters the final year of his contract. Antonio Brown only fetched a third and fifth-round set of picks when he was traded to the Raiders a while back. Brown was the top receiver in football at the time, and Johnson isn't that.
The black and gold will have to figure out if it's best to just keep Johnson if they cannot pry a third-round pick or higher from a team. From a fit standpoint, Johnson would be fantastic with the Houston Texans. He is someone who has supreme elusiveness and separation skills on his routes. That is something that makes him stand out.
Houston could use another weapon or two on offense. They just re-signed Dalton Schultz to keep their offense intact, and Tank Dell will return next season after suffering an injury. If they lose a couple of pieces on offense, they might try and focus on adding some extra weaponry around C.J. Stroud. The young quarterback needs as much help as he can get.
He clawed his way to getting the Texans to the playoffs last season, which shocked many. Adding someone like Johnson who routinely gets open would only strengthen their group. He is someone who needs a contract extension, and Houston has a lot of cap space to work with this offseason. Johnson to Houston for a couple of picks to the Steelers could be a realistic outcome.
Diontae Johnson could be traded to Seattle for a third round pick
Pittsburgh is finally able to get a third-round pick in the upcoming draft in this mock trade. The Steelers would probably want a third-round pick in the draft to seriously consider moving Johnson this offseason. It would allow them an extra pick in the first two days of the draft to select a replacement for the veteran receiver.
If they want a deal to include that third-round pick, then they will probably have to lurk around the clubs that have multiple in that round. One of those teams is the Seattle Seahawks. Their general manager is no fool, but he also knows that players like Johnson don't come available often. They could use a shakeup with their receiving core.
Another thing that could be enticing for Seattle is their option to re-sign Johnson. They have almost 50 million in cap space this year and are projected to have over 126 million next offseason. There is plenty of spending cash that could include Johnson in their plans. Tyler Lockett isn't getting any younger and could become a trade target of his own.
D.K. Metcalf is a young receiver, but he hasn't been the same player since breaking out in his rookie season. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a quality rookie year, but he isn't ready to be a number-one threat for an NFL offense. Adding Johnson would give them that top receiver that they are currently missing. The Steelers finally get a third-round pick in a trade.
The Steelers could get help in the trenches from the Commanders
Another huge trade here that includes plenty of salary cap implications. If Pittsburgh were to pull off this trade, it would help fix their problems in the trenches. They need to get younger on the defensive line. Washington has two quality players in the trenches, with Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. Both could be interesting trade chips in this scenario.
The Commanders are going to take a quarterback with the second overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. They have some decent receivers currently in the fold, but Johnson would be an upgrade over either of them. Adding someone like this receiver would give Washington a legit top receiver and allow their other weapons more opportunities to get open.
In return, the Steelers would get a young and talented defensive tackle in Payne. He will be 27 years old by the time next season begins. He is a young player who has put up incredible numbers in the past. He is coming off an average season, but a new home like Pittsburgh would only help him turn things around. Making this trade would mean Larry Ogunjobi is cut as a cap casualty.
Payne would shrink the Steeler's current cap situation by ten million as he costs double what Johnson does. In this deal, Pittsburgh gets Washington's fifth-round pick and swaps their sixth-round selection in return. With the receiver position being impactful in football, Washington sweetened the deal a little. The Steelers get an impact starter for their defense and a pick upgrade in return.